Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

How to stay in the loop at work? The basic idea is that we want to be informed and we also don’t want to forget about things that we’ve asked people to do once we’ve delegated something. In these days of quickly moving information and just as quickly moving people, this can be tricky to navigate.

First, let’s talk about staying in the loop on projects or tasks that you’ve delegated. The solution to this is simple and also, rarely practiced. You have to write it down. This is the truth. You just have to write it down on a list titled, “follow up” or “waiting for”. If you don’t have these things captured where you can see them and in a trusted system, there is no way you will remember. By far my favorite author on all things productivity and managing lists is David Allen. To manage your follow up list, you have to have one.

Now onto the bigger idea about staying in the loop at work. Keeping people informed and making sure that you’re staying informed can be two different things. Additionally, it is worth noting that when people feel left out, this challenges their sense of status and importance on the team. Secondly, if you’re the boss and your team has seemed to take matters into their own hands, it can challenge your status as “the boss.” This is all to say that being sensitive to the fact that we all want to be kept in the loop can support us in making sure we do that for others, more often as the situation allows.

How do you stay in the loop at work? What works well for you?